Metal Bat Lawsuit Filed by Parents of 14-Year Old Injured in Little League Game

Earlier this week, the parents of a 14-year old New Jersey boy filed a lawsuit against Hillerich & Bardsby (manufacturer of Louisville Slugger metal and wood bats), the Sports Authority retail chain, and the New Jersey State Little League, to recover damages for the brain injury suffered by their son after he was struck in the chest by a line drive hit by a metal bat in a Little League game and went into cardiac arrest (causing him to stop breathing and suffer oxygen loss).

Little Leagues generally prefer metal bats because they tend to last longer. As a result, the debate has essentially become one of safety versus cost.

So far only New York City and North Dakota have banned metal bats from youth and school sports, and states such as Massachusetts and Pennsylvania voted against the ban. New Jersey is researching a possible ban, according to The Associated Press.